Premonition
by Frosty Hands
Summary: To see a beloved he thought was lost to the passage of time stood alive before him. Was it an act of fate, a miracle, or a cruel trick played by a vindictive god?
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

A hollow clank echoed across the desolate building as the sound of a rattling sword halted to a stop.

This has to be a trick. Maybe a powerful illusion of some kind, casted on him by a human. And yet, in his heart of hearts, Crowley Eusford wanted to believe in that which stood in front of him.

"Lucia…?" he spoke softly-almost quivering, afraid that if he spoke any louder, the ephemeral being would vanish like a fleeting dream.

"Lord Crowley? What's wrong?" his beautiful assistant drew her eyes onto the human that captured her lord's attention, "Is it this human?"

"What~? Does this human interest you, Lord Crowley? I'll admit, she does look tasty~!" his second assistant pondered as she drew her sword.

"Stay back." he said sharply, "And put your weapons down."

Rarely, did either of them seen their lord act so tense. Although they were both confused, Horn quietly complied with his orders. Chess made more of a fuss before sheathing her blade. She couldn't believe that some lowly human managed to get Lord Crowley's attention over her, someone who has been with him for longer than the human has been alive.

The woman draped in ragged, tatter sheets bore too much resemblance to his late wife to be a coincidence. Even though his human emotions became dull as a stone, he felt a sudden flash of joy. And yet, he knew it was impossible. It had already been 802 years since she had vanished from his life, leaving no body for him to grieve nor to experience closure. It could never be the same person.

He examined her, the woman still dazed and inattentive to the danger in front of her. Her ears were still rounded like a human. Her teeth bore no fangs. Her eyes, still the verdant green he became enamored with when he first courted her so many centuries ago. She was a human.

He was relieved that she wasn't tormented to a soulless eternity, and yet disappointed for this was proof that it was impossible that she and his wife were the same person. Still, he clung on to the thread of hope, however thin it was.

"Lucia, is that you?" he asked gently, walking slowly towards her.

Crowley could see something squirming behind her. It was a human child, hiding behind her for protection. The closer he got, the more terrified the child became. As if a moment of lucidity had come over her, she immediately wrapped her arms around the small one, protecting her from the approaching monster.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know if you know who I am."

No answer. She only glared at him with a mix of fear and anger. Even with his feelings dulled, he still felt a bit of disappointment at her hostility. A flash of realization occurred to him. She couldn't possibly understand what he was saying. He had been living in Japan for far too long, and immediately switch back to his native English.

"No," she finally replied, "I do not know who you are. But you act if you know who I am. Umm… Do...you know who I am?"

An amnesiac? Is this a miracle, or some cruel trickery played by God?

"You resemble my late wife," he explained, "Her name is Lucia Alexandros... Lucia Eusford. Does any of those names sound familiar to you?"

"...Somewhat. It feels familiar but… I'm sorry, m-my head hurts…"

"Lord Crowley had a wife~?" Chess mumbled to her compatriot.

"It would only make sense," Horn replied quietly, "Lord Crowley was 25 when he was turned into a vampire. In his time, it would be more odd if somebody his age was never married… especially a man of his status."

"But even if he did, she's a human, isn't she? She should be dead!"

"Shh!" Horn scolded her, but she knew that Chess had a point. The most a human can live is to about a hundred or so. Eight hundred years would be impossible.

Ignoring his aide's squabbling, Crowley asked more questions.

"Do you remember anything?"

"Only something very vague... I was in a white room. Somebody was telling me something… I...I can't remember what it was, but I think it was something important. And then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in a place I never seen before..."

"And her?" he motioned to the child behind her, quaking in fear.

"She is the one that found me. But she so scared of you. ...What are you?"

She can't understand the child, who was mumbling the word 'kyuketsuki' again and again. Tugging at her waist as she buried her head into her back, crying in terror. How could she. After all, how could she learn Japanese when she never left her country?

"Hey kid," Crowley switched back to Japanese, "Can you stop crying? I won't hurt you."

"You're a vampire! I know what you guys do to us!" she whimpered.

"I'm not an average vampire though," he said lightheartedly and smiling, "I'm a boss vampire. And I don't like drinking children's blood nor do I like killing children. If you come with me, I'll protect you from the other vampires and monsters."

"You're lying! I saw what you did my friends! None of you stopped! And now… now they're gone." She began crying again, remembering how gruesome they had resisted, struggled, and died by the horrific hunger of a nearly starved vampire.

"What did you say to her?" the woman glared at him, unaware of how disrespectful and dangerous it was to even look at a Progenitor in the eyes.

"I told her that she shouldn't be scared of me, but I don't think I had fully convinced her just yet."

Crowley crouched down, making eye contact with the child.

"What's your name, little one?"

"H-Hina," she avoided looking into his eyes.

"Hina, if I wanted to kill you, wouldn't I have already? You and this woman would already be dead if I willed it. Do you know why you're not dead?"

She shook her head, now more terrified than ever.

"Because I need you two to be alive. I won't hurt you, so if you could stop crying, that would be better for the both of us, okay?" he said with a disarming smile.

Hina knew that this could easily be interpreted as a threat. The vampire really could kill her and the lady if he wanted to. And unless she stopped crying, he would. Hina forced her tears back, rubbing her eyes and letting the last hiccup through, finally quieting down.

"Good girl." He smiled again, patting her on the head like a parent to their child.

"...She stopped crying... What did you say?"

"I told her that I would protect the both of you from the monsters here. This city is full of them, you know? I have a large castle that I can let you two stay in, much safer than this place. You can eat good food and wander the yard without worry. After all, I'm here to protect you now. Doesn't that sound great, Lucia?" Crowley smiled, extending his hand towards the human.

The woman hesitated taking his hand. She didn't know who he was or what his true intentions were. Hell, she didn't know who she was. But she knew her options: Go with him or starve with the child. The choice was clear and with an uneasy heart, she grabbed his hand. A smile grew on Crowley's face as he felt the warmth of her hand on his. With her hands in his grip, his fingers entwined with hers as a feeling of nostalgia washes over his mind.


	2. Chapter 2:Clemency

It was just as Crowley had described. Even from a distance, she could see an opulent castle, with strong pillars at the base of the stairway that led to the entranceway. The elegant carvings on the oaken wood of the double doors reminded Lucia of a faraway memory. A visit to the cathedral, perhaps? Her head still felt light since her awakening. She shakes her head, resting alongside Hina, who held onto her arm during the long car ride. Although they could not understand each other's words, Lucia had immediately become fond of the young girl, and in turn, Hina had clung onto the foreign woman for protection from the vampires.

Crowley had ordered the driver to make many unnecessary turns, taking a much longer route to get to his castle. Even though he was doing the rest of the humans a favor by protecting and keeping them as livestock, he didn't want Lucia to see. Along with the feeling of joy, he felt the feeling of shame and fear resurface as well. What would she think if she knew of him treating her fellow humans like this? He didn't want to think of it. He shakes his head, trying to initiate conversation.

"Well, what do you think? Isn't it just as I described?" he says lightheartedly.

"It...certainly is," Lucia's eyes widen at the sight of the marvelous courtyard that began to appear in front of her. Patches of vegetation grew along the cracks of the stoney floor. Although they were below a cliff or canyon, she could see rays of sunlight shining down through the fissures that formed along the ceiling of the stone roofs.

"Once we arrive, I'll show you around the castle. It's big, so I don't want you getting lost."

Lucia looks behind the rear window. The castle was located on a higher ground, overlooking a small city that formed along a depression in the ravine. Unlike the castle grounds, the city itself had very little sunlight, located deeper from the surface. "That city…" Lucia gazes at the buildings slowly vanishing into the horizon, "Will I be able to go there as well?"

Crowley hesitates answering. He had hoped that the skyline would have been hidden by the shadows, away from sight.

"Not at the moment," he takes time to gather his words, "As of now, the city is undergoing construction to accommodate new civilians."

Chess glances at him. A slight frown forms. Even though he appeared calm, she could tell that he had a slight unease in his words. She turns towards the window in unusual silence, understanding that this was not her time to speak. She only wonders how long she would have to keep this charade going before the human inevitably finds out about the livestocks. Horn, noticing her behavior, places her arm on her shoulder and quietly nods in agreement.

They understood why their lord would be so interested in this human, even if they didn't approve of him showering her with attention. They knew, that if they were in his position, they would do the same. Chess wonders who she wanted to see the most. She can hardly remember anybody from her time. After pondering for a moment, she knew that if she could have a miracle like Lord Crowley, she would have liked to see her mother again. Even though several centuries has passed, Chess could still faintly recall her mother's face. How her mother used to hold her in her arms, singing songs of old while they gazed at the starlit night sky. Her gentle personality, her familiar smell, and the small, warm moments she had spent with her in her long life. When she thought about seeing her again, Chess could only feel a trickle of sadness. Her human emotions had long since faded.

Horn however, had made her wish for the opposite reason. As much as she loved him when she was a human, she couldn't remember her little brother. His face, his voice, even his personality. Was he an energetic child or a quiet one? Did he like to play or did he like to read? Her memories of him had faded so much. Horn could only remember that he had existed at one point, not even truly remembering his name. She had secretly hoped that if he were to be revived, all her memories that had been washed away by time would come flowing back. That she would recognize his face and scoop him up like she did when he was a child. That she, even as a vampire, could somehow go back to the idyllic days where everything seemed so simple. But she knew that this would be nearly impossible. What happened to Crowley was a miracle for sure. It would not be happening again. Even though she knows the human was not at all responsible for her own resurrection, Horn couldn't help but to feel irritated and envious that only Lord Crowley was given the chance to see a loved one.

The car slows to a stop.

"Ah, we're here!" Crowley stands up, opening the door for his guests, "Horn, Chess! Escort this child to her room. And remember, no snacking on the way!"

Although she knew he meant it as a joke, Hina still felt her heart skip a beat. What if it wasn't a joke? She didn't want to be separated from the lady who had protected her since, but she didn't have a say on what she wanted to do.

"Understood, Lord Crowley~!" Chess said with forced enthusiasm.

She roughly took the girl by the hand and began dragging her alongside. Hina felt her nails dig in her skin, stifling her yelps as she winced in pain. She couldn't show that she was hurt. She had to pretend that everything was fine. Even as young as she was, Hina knew what would happen if she were to show discomfort in the presence of a noble She turned towards Lucia and smiled as she waved goodbye.

"Good girl," Chess whispered, "I didn't even have to tell you what to do."

Slowly, Crowley's aides and the girl disappeared from sight. Lucia had half the mind to follow them, if not for Crowley grabbing her hand.

"Lucia, follow me. There are many things I want to show you," he smiled, "Don't worry, they won't hurt her. You'll see her again at dinner."

The inside of the manor was far larger than it appeared on the outside. The halls were sparse with furniture and paintings with only the occasional painting of a landmark or locale in a faraway city adorn the walls. The empty corridors made it feel much bigger than it really was. While he was leading the way, Lucia had realized something odd. His hand was cold to touch, like a cool, smooth pebble hidden under the shade of a tree. The more she looked, the more she noticed. Pointed ears, crimson eyes, sharp fangs. She recalls this type of being from somewhere, but she can't quite remember the name of the creature.

Crowley felt a tug on his arm as Lucia stopped behind him.

"What are you?" she asks not out of malice or fear, but of curiosity.

"...Already found out, huh? You always were of sharp wit," he sighs, wishing that they could have continued this game for a bit longer, "I am a progenitor vampire, one of many nobles that lead the common vampires."

"...Oh. That's right, that's what they're called," Lucia said with a simple tone of understanding, "Thank you."

"...You're not scared?" Crowley was bewildered. For sure, he thought she would have become fearful or even hateful of him. After all, it was only natural of a prey to fear its predator.

"...It's strange, isn't it? I know I should be afraid, but for some reason or another, I am not all terrified. It all feels very...familiar, like I seen one before. Were you always a vampire?"

"No. I have been a vampire for ages now, but not when we were married."

"I see. I'm sorry. My memory is still very hazy, I might be getting a memory muddled with something else. ...Hmm... the more I talk to you, the more familiar you seem. Didn't your hair used to be all red?"

"It was!" Crowley beamed, "It used to be shorter too. Perhaps if I cut it, I'll resemble my old self?"

"It's okay, you don't have to do that for me. I'm sure more things will come back in time."

"I hope it does. There's many things I want to show you- many things I want to talk about," he said with an excitement he hadn't felt in centuries.


End file.
